• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

Objectives : Many of currently used anti-cancer drugs were developed to target cell death mechanisms and had serious side effects by causing damage to normal cells. Hangambujeongsan or Kangai Fuzheng Powder was a mixture based on the traditional Chinese medicine. It had been used in the local Chinese hospitals to treat cancer patients for decades and had shown a certain level of beneficial effects without major toxic effects. But its mechanism of action had not been elucidated yet. Thus this study aimed to investigate the effects of Kangai Fuzheng Powder in an in vitro experiment. Methods : Cancer lines or RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cells were treated with Kangai Fuzheng Powder. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay, and morphological observation was also performed. Gene expression of cytokines in macrophages was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Phagocytic function assay was also performed in macrophage cells. Results : Kangai Fuzheng Powder had no direct detrimental effect on cancer cells. When macrophages were co-cultured with cancer cells, Kangai Fuzheng Powder had toxic effect on cancer cells. After exposing macrophages to Kangai Fuzheng Powder, macrophages transformed into activated form and the mRNA level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta, interleukin-6, interleukin-10 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 was significantly enhanced. Phagocytic activity of macrophages was dramatically potentiated. Conclusions : We demonstrated that anti-cancer effect of Kangai Fuzheng Powder was related to activation of macrophages including enhanced cytokine production and phagocytic function.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.151-157
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• 2009

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Water Extract from Artemisiae Argi Folium (WAAF) on mouse macrophage Raw 264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods : Cell viabilities were measured by MTT assay. And the intracellular productions of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were measured by dihydrorhodamine 123 assay. TNF-$\alpha$ and IL-6 production from Raw 264.7 were measured by ELISA method. Results : The results of the experiment are as follows. 1. WAAF significantly increased the cell viability compared to the control group (treated with LPS only) at the concentrations of 10, 50, 100, 200, 400 ug/mL. 2. WAAF significantly increased the intracellular production of H2O2 compared to the control group at the concentrations of 50, 100, 200 ug/mL. 3. WAAF significantly decreased the production of TNF-$\alpha$ compared to the control group at the concentrations of 100, 200 ug/mL. 4. WAAF significantly decreased the production of IL-6 compared to the control group at the concentrations of 50, 100, 200 ug/mL. Conclusions : WAAF could be supposed to have the immune-modulating activity related with the macrophage's immunoactivity.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2022.09a
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• pp.93-93
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• 2022

Hovenia dulcis, one of the traditional medicinal plants, is currently being used as a functional ingredient for the development of health functional foods that protects the liver from alcohol damage in Korea. A variety of pharmacological effects of Hovenia dulcis have been reported so far, but studies on immune-enhancing activity are insufficient. Thus, in this study, we report that Hovenia dulcis branches (HDB) induce the activation of macrophages. HDB increased the production of immunostimulatory factors and phagocytosis in RAW264.7 cells. TLR4 inhibition blocked HDB-mediated production of immunostimulatory factors. In addition, the JNK inhibition reduced the HDB-mediated production of immunostimulatory factors, and the HDB-mediated JNK activation was blocked by the TLR4 inhibition. HDB increased the level of LC3-II and p62/SQSTM1. TLR4 inhibition blocked HDB-mediated increase in the level of LC3-II and p62/SQSTM1. These findings indicate that HDB may induce TLR4/JNK-dependent macrophage activation and TLR4-dependent macrophage autophagy.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.586-591
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• 2010

Chemokine and Growth Factor are major mediumtors of immuno-inflammatory pathway. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether productions of Chemokine and Growth Factor in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells are modulated by Gallic acid (GA), which is easily founded in tannin-containing natural materials such as red wine, green tea, grape juice, and Corni Fructus. Productions of Chemokine and Growth Factor were analyzed by High-throughput Multiplex Bead based Assay with Bio-plex Suspension Array System based on $xMAP^{(R)}$ (multi-analyte profiling beads) technology. At first, cell culture supernatant was obtained after treatment with LPS and GA for 24 hour. Then, the antibody-conjugated beads were added and incubated for 30 minutes. After incubation, detection antibody was added and incubated for 30 minutes. And Strepavidin-conjugated Phycoerythrin (SAPE) was added. After incubation for 30 minutes, the level of SAPE fluorescence was analyzed on Bio-plex Suspension Array System. Based on fluorescence intensity, concentrations of Chemokine and Growth Factor were determined. The results of the experiment are as follows. GA significantly inhibited the production of interferon-inducible protein (IP)-10, keratinocyte-derived chemokine(KC), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells at the concentration of 25, 50, 100, 200 uM (p<0.05). GA significantly inhibited the production of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1) and macrophage-colony stimulating factor(M-CSF) in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells at the concentration of 50, 100, 200 uM (p<0.05). GA diminished the production of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. But GA did not show the inhibitory effect on the production of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIP) and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. These results suggest that GA has the immuno-modulating activity related with its inhibitory effects on the production of IP-10, KC, MCP-1, VEGF, and M-CSF in LPS-induced macrophages.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.7
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• pp.1079-1083
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• 2015

Activating macrophage cells play an important role in the host immune defense system. In this paper, immuno-modulatory activities of polysaccharides separated from Jubak (JPS) in macrophage cells were investigated. Immuno-modulatory activities were estimated based on cell proliferation, nitric oxide (NO) and cytokine production, degree of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and nuclear factor (NF)-${\kappa}B$ phosphorylation in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. JPS (62.5 to $250{\mu}g/mL$) did not induce a cytotoxic event. Additionally, NO and proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ and interleukin-6) production significantly increased in a dose-dependent manner. Similarly, phosphorylation of MAPKs and NF-${\kappa}B$ increased upon JPS treatment. Therefore, our results suggest that polysaccharides separated from Jubak can induce macrophage activation through MAPK and NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling and induction of Th1 polarization.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.113-118
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• 1990

This experiment was carried out to investigate the immuno-regulatory effects of histamine on IL-1 synthesis and Ca2+ uptake in P388Dl macrophage-like cell line. The addition of histamine (10-8-10-3 M) increased IL-1 production in P388D1, cells, in a dose dependent manner, the treatment of EGTA (10-7-10-4M) and Co2+ ion (10-5-10-4M) decreased macrophage-derived IL-1 activity, and the pretreatment of histamine at the peak of 10-4M significantly enhanced Ca2+ uptake to P388Dl Cells. These results suggested that exogenous histamine was effective on IL-1 production from macrophage and the intracellular Ca2+ uptake play a important role in histamine-stimulated IL-1 synthesis.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2024

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Daesiho-tang (Da Chai Hu-Tang) water extract (DSTE) in regulating chronic stress-induced cancer progression, focusing on its activity in modulating tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Different stimuli can polarize TAMs into immune-stimulating M1 macrophages or immunosuppressive M2 macrophages. During cancer progression, M2 phenotype increases and supports tumor growth, angiogenesis and metastasis. Notably, chronic stress-induced catecholamines promote M2 macrophage polarization. In this study, we investigated whether DSTE regulates norepinephrine (NE)-induced M2 macrophage polarization in RAW 264.7 mouse macrophage cells. Even though NE itself did not increase the expression of M2 markers, the conditioned media of NE-treated 4T1 mouse breast cancer cells (NE CM) significantly up-regulated M2 markers in RAW 264.7 cells, suggesting that NE-regulated cancer cell secretome stimulated M2 polarization. However, such increase was abrogated by DSTE. NE CM also induced phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) in RAW 264.7 cells, which was clearly reversed by pretreatment with DSTE, demonstrating that DSTE inhibited M2 polarization by inactivating STAT6. Finally, M2-polarized RAW264.7 cells by NE CM markedly increased the migration of 4T1 cells. However, such increase was completely reversed by co-treating RAW264.7 cells with NE CM and DSTE, indicating that DSTE attenuated cancer cell migration by blocking M2 polarization. Taken together, our results suggest a probable use of DSTE for cancer patients under chronic stress by regulating M2 macrophage polarization.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.9
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• pp.1095-1100
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• 2008

Antioxidative and macrophage phagocytic activities and contents of functional component in selected Korean chestnuts (Dantaek, Daebo, Okkwang, Seokchu, Byunggo) were evaluated. Coumarin, gallic acid and catechin in inner skin and whole kernel of selected Korean chestnuts were detected by HPLC. The predominant functional components in inner skin of chestnut were catechin, followed by gallic acid and coumarin. However, the whole kernel had only gallic acid. Thus, the antioxidant properties of gallic acid and catechin were evaluated through DPPH radical-scavenging activity and SOD like activity. Gallic acid and catechin at 6.0 mg/100 g exhibited 69.4% and 38.3% of scavenging activities on DPPH radical, respectively. DPPH radical-scavenging activity of gallic acid increased in a concentration-dependent manner. Gallic acid was found to possess higher DPPH radical-scavenging activity than equivalent amount of catechin at all concentrations, whereas catechin was found to have higher SOD like activity than gallic acid. In addition, pre-incubation of macrophage with white kernel extract from Byunggo resulted in a significant increase of phagocytic activity and yellow kernel extracts from Byunggo, Dantaek, Daebo and Okkwang, leading to an increase in phagocytic activity compared with untreated cells. Yellow kernel extracts was found to have higher phagocytic activity than white kernel extracts. Byunggo had the highest phagocytic activity. The results suggest that the Korean chestnut may provide a natural source of antioxidants and active immunity.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.5-14
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• 2003

Objective: Present study was aimed to verify the effect of granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in the preimplantation development of mouse embryos and the involvement of the mitogen activated protein kiase (MAPK) in the GM-CSF signaling. Methods: Two-cell embryos were cultured for 96 h in the presence or absence of GM-CSF (0, 0.4, 2, 10 ng/ml) and PD98059, a MEK inhibitor (10 ${\mu}M$). Morphological development, cell number per blastocyst, and apoptotic nuclei, were eamined. MAPK activity of embryonic immunoprecipitate by MAPK (ERK1/2) antibody was measured by in vitro phosphorylation of myelin basic protein. Results: At post hCG 122 h the embryonic development among the experimental groups was significantly different (p=0.018). The rate of blastocyst development and cell number per embryo were the highest in 2 ng/ml GM-CSF treatment group. The percent of apoptotic cells of the GM-CSF-treated embryos was the lowest among the group. In blastocysts, GM-CSF treatment transiently increased MAPK activity. PD098059 attenuated the effect of GM-CSF on the morphological development, increase in cell number per blastocyst, down regulation of apoptosis, and upregulation of MAPK activity, suggesting that activation of MAPK cascade possibly mediated the embryotropic effect of GM-CSF. Conclusion: This result suggested that GM-CSF potentiated the development of preimplantation mouse embryos by activation of MAPK.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.101-101
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• 2003

Prostaglandins (PGs) and nitric oxide (NO) produced by inducible cyclooygenase (COX-2) and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), respectively, have been implicated as important mediators in the process of inflammation and carcinogenesis. On this line, the potential COX-2 or iNOS inhibitors have been considered as anti-inflammatory and cancer chemopreventive agents. In our continuing efforts of searching for novel cancer chemopreventive agents from natural products, we isolated natural sesquiterpenoids as potential COX-2 and iNOS inhibitors in cultured lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Alantolactone, a natural eudesmane-type sesquiterpenoid, exhibited a potent inhibition of COX-2 (IC50 = 0.4 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$) and iNOS activity (IC50 = 0.08 $\mu\textrm{g}$/$m\ell$) in the assay system determined by PGE2 and NO accumulation, respectively. The inhibitory potential of alantolactone on the PGE2 and NO production was well coincided with the suppression of COX-2 and iNOS protein and mRNA expression in LPS-induced macrophages. Furthermore, alantolactone inhibited NF-kB but not AP-l binding activity on nuclear extracts evoked by LPS-stimulated macrophage cells, suggesting the possible involvement of NF-kB in the regulation of COX-2 and iNOS expression. In further study with COX-2-expressing human colon HT-29 cells, alantolactone inhibited the cell proliferation, down-regulated COX-2, and inhibited the ERK phosphorylation in the early time. These results suggest that a natural sesquiterpenoid alantolactone might be a potential lead candidate for further developing COX-2 or iNOS inhibitor possessing cancer chemopreventive or anti-inflammatory activity